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Employer EPOS Account Setup

Every employment permit application runs through Employment Permits Online (EPOS). Since the old Trusted Partner Initiative was retired, every employer verifies once at account level, and nothing can be filed until that verification clears, so this is the first thing to do, not something to leave until a candidate is ready to start.

What you need before you start

  • Company Registration Number (CRO), or Registered Charity Number / Registry of Friendly Societies number where applicable
  • Revenue tax registration number and confirmation of active trading status
  • A named account administrator with authority to submit applications on the company's behalf
  • A business email address on the company's own domain
  • Mobile number for multi-factor authentication on the account

Setting up the account

01

Create the account

Register on the Employment Permits Online portal with a business email, password and mobile number for MFA. This is a separate account system from Revenue's ROS or the CRO's own portal, though it checks against both.

02

Upload employer verification documents

Provide your CRO number and Revenue documentation confirming the company is registered and actively trading. The permits team validates this before any application can be submitted. Do this well before you have a candidate ready to file.

03

Wait for validation

DETE reviews the employer account submission and confirms or queries it. Build this step into your timeline: nothing else can happen on the account until it clears.

04

Add team members if needed

Once validated, additional colleagues can be added to the account to prepare and submit applications, useful if HR and a hiring manager both need access.

What blocks approval

  • CRO or Revenue details that do not match exactly what is on file with those bodies: even a punctuation difference in the company name can trigger a query
  • A company that is registered but not yet actively trading, or cannot demonstrate trading activity
  • An account administrator who is not clearly authorised to act for the company
Full hiring process guide →Labour Market Needs Test →
EPOS is the official system operated by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. Register directly at epos.enterprise.gov.ie. This guide explains the process, it is not the application system itself.